Potato digger



Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,795

G. w. BRUCE V POTATO DIGGER Filed NOV. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENI'OR.

ATTORNEK Sept. 1, 1925. 1,551,795

I I G. w. BRUCE POTATO DIGGER Filed Nov. 5, 1924 2 SheetsShaet 2 J VENTORZ 2&4 4. m

Patented Sept. .1, 1925.

1 UNITED STAT S PATENTnOFFICE.

:ononer. warmer, or ossEo; MINNESOTA.

ro'ra'ro D'IGGEVB.

' Application flied November 3; 1924. Serial No. 747,467.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE 1V. BRUCE, a citizen of the United StaItes, residing at Osseo. in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, liaveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato Diggers, of which th following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to improvements in potato diggers andthe object is to provide .a simple'and efficient digger of such con- ,struction that the potatoes may be dropped on the ground; after, the usual elevating process and separation from the vines, either vFig. 2 isa side elevation of Fig.1 with a portion ,of the left side wall broken away and the minor parts added which. do not appear in Fig. 1, the left side drive wheel being also omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line 3 3in 2.

Fig. fl: is an: enlarged sectional view as on line in Fig.2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the. revolving hopper of my device, as on line .55 in-Fig. 3: Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary to View of the gear shield 36 in Fig.2. an ad acent parts. "Fig. 7 is. Fig. 2 modified andv omitting the front wheel truck and the hopper being located at the extreme rear end of the frame.

Referring to. the drawing by reference numerals 10, and-11 designate, respectively the main left and right supporting wheels on the axle 12. Theaxle is journaled iu bearings 13 (Fig. ofthemainframe 1 1.

I I The front end of the mainframe ispivetally supported at15 byawheel truck16 to which is suitably secured a'draft pole 17.

. I 18 [is the usual; digging shovel adjacent the front wheel truckandfrom which potatoes and their vines are elevated by an inclined elevator 19. and. .the upper run of which is moved. rearwardly from I the shovel by the rotation of the ground wheels 10.

11, the main axle '12 carrying a gear 20 rotating a pinion 21 0n, a horizontal shaft 22 journaled in the side walls. of the frame 1 L.

1 O utsideof (the left wall as inFig. 2 the shaft 22 carries-a sprocket 28 engaging a chain 24 which-rotates a sprocket 25. (Figs.

1 and 2) or 25 (Fig. 7) mounted on a shaft 26 or shaft 31 respectivelyjournaled in the frame 1 1 in elevated position. Said shaft 26 (Figs. 1 and 2) has two spaced sprockets 27 each engaging oneof the chains 19 of the elevator (see also Fig. 6). Said elevator is of the usual typ having spaced transverse bars to carry the potatoes and v nes rearwardly and upwardly the spaces between the bars allowing soil'to drop off of the potatoes to the ground. At the top of the incline the conveyor belt 19 runs over two sprockets 27 and from thence its direction is downwardly in approximately a vertical drop. thence engaging the under side of two rollers 28 mounted each on. a stub shaft 29 suitably secured as in a block 29 (Fig. 6) on the adjacent frame wall. This abrupt drop of the conveyor causes the potatoes and vines to become separated and also jars loose any dirt adhering to the potatoes up to this point. continued rearwardly fromfthte lower sides of the rollers 28to and over a pair of rear sprockets 30 mounted ona shaft 31, journaled in the frame, where the potatoes are dropped off. From the latter sprockets 30 the conveyor is extended forwardly 'to, a pair of idler sprockets or rollers 32 '(see Figs. 2 and 7) on a shaft 33. From thence the conveyor continues forwardly to the under side of The conveyor is thefrontsprockets 3 1 on a shaft 35, ad-

jacent the scoop l8,,where the upward travel of the conveyor begins. In a preferred form of the device, as Fig. 7 the conveyor driv-' .ing sprocket is designated as 25, keyed on [the shaft 31 and is driven by the chain 24.

In this form of the device 2728 may all be plain rollers. I I V '36 is a sheetmetal guard having a vertical flange adaptedto be secured to the frame wall '14 bya pivot bolt 37 and also a thumb screw 38 (see Figs. 2 and 6), the shield or guard part extending inwardly and thence downwardly from a pointabout vertically above shaft 26 to a point just above shaft 29 to prevent potatoes etc., from clogging between the sprockets 26 and rollers 28.

Theconstructionand operation of my device so far disclosed it is apparent are particularly useful for potato harvesting where the soil is moist and adheres to the potatoes I and also when the vines are not sufficiently dried to readily separate from the potatoes Under other conditions, however, as when the soil is dry and thevines with ered to such an extent that they readily separate from the potatoes it is apparent that the potatoes need. not be carried further than over the rollers 26. For this condition I may provide rotary hopper under sprockets 26 to catch the potatoes dropping from-the conveyor, the latter being in this case shortened by removing a number of its links and bars and making the lower run of it extend directly forward to the sprockets as 19 in Fig. 2. The rotary hopper comprises preferably three radially arranged blade. 39 spaced equidistant and each hingedly connected at its opposite inner ends as at T0 in a hub ll (Fig. secured on a horizontal shaft 42 journaled in the frame, one end of said shaft carrying a sprocket L3, externally of the frame, and said sprocket rotated by a chain and another sprocket 45 on a shaft 46 turned by a hand crank 27 mounted adjacent the drivers seat The driver can operate said crank until two adjacent blades 3-9 are extended upwardly between the walls of frame 1-l thus forming a receiving hopper for potatoes dropped from the conveyor. When the hopper is full the operator merely turns crank 47, rotating the hopper a third of a revolution and dropping the potatoes on the ground, as at 63 in Fig. 2, and the next two adjacent blades 39 are then in hopper forming position. Each of the hubs 41 has an ear or extension etl (Fig. 5) for each blade 39, said ear threaded to receive a screw 49 passed through an aperture in a blade 39 to hold the latter in proper radial relation. If theoperator desires to not-use the hopper he simply removes th screw 4-9 in the upwardly extending blade 39 which is in the path of the falling potatoes, as blade 39* in Figs. 5 and 7, and said blade being thus released hangs down in position 39 thus allowing the potatoes to drop directly on the ground. 'lVhen the potatoes fall di rectly on the ground they are likely to be scattered promiscuously but to prevent this I have provided a guide plate 50 in each side wall of frame 1%: and adjacent th hopper. This plate 50 is preferably sheet metal and of a form to cover the inner side of a rectangular opening 14* in the frame wall (F igs. 2 and 7). The upper edge of the plate is secured as at 51 (Fig. l) to the frame and its main body is adapted to be swung inwardly toward the center of the machine, the two opposite plates thus forming guiding means forcing the falling potatoes to fall toward th center (see dotted lines 5O in Fig. The means for springing each plate 50 inwardly comprise a vertically disposed bell crank with one vertical arm 52 contacting with the plate and its lower end pivotally secured as at 53 to a bracket 5% secured on the frame wall at the lower central part of the aperture 14*.

The other arm 52 extends outwardly horizontally from the arm 52 and its outer end is engaged by a rod or other pulling means 55 extending upwardly to another bell crank 56 pivot-ed on a transverse horizontal shaft mounted on the upper part of frame 14 (see Fig. 2). The latter crank is rocked by another pulling rod 57 the front end of which is connected to a lever 58 pivoted in a bracket 59 near the drivers seat (see Fig. 2). Thus when the driver pushes lever 58 ahead to position 58 the bell crank 52 is swung on its pivot 53 causing arm 52 to be sprung inwardly and pushing the plate 50 toward the center of the machine. 52 is a horizontal arm at right angles to the plane of lever 52"52 ant lived on the latter and engages plate 50 to swing the latter out of its vertical plane (see Figs. 2 and 4-). 60 are a number of suitable vertically arranged, elongated spring leaves fixed as at 61 above the aperture l l and e ch slidably engaging a bracket 32 fixed on the outer side of the plate 50 to spring said plate back to its normal vertical position and hold it there when the plate springing means are not in use.

l i hcn neither the hopper nor the guide plates are to be used and the operator desires to have the potatoes dumped off at the Xtreme rear end and wit rout passing the conveyor belt 19 under the rollers, the operator may remove the shields 86 or swing them upon their pivots 87, and then pass the upper run of the conveyor directly from the *ollers 27 back to the rollers 30. The chains 19 will then extend rearwardly almut as indicator in dotted lines 19 in Fig. 2 and may engage the upper side of the rollers 28.

The operation of my improved machine has been fully disclosed but it might be further stat-ed brie-fly that I have provided means in one machine for harvesting potatoes and handling them in various ways according to local conditions at the time of harvesting such as the condition of the soil and of the vines and the potatoes.

An important feature also is the single continuous elevator belt or apron 19 having the drop between the sprockets 27 and rollers 28 for the purpose described.

What I claim is:

1. In a potato harvester having an elongated frame supported on a forward wheel truck and two rear wheels, a single endless apron in said frame and extending from a point near the forward truck upwardly and rearwardly over the rear wheels, means operatively connecting said drive wheels with the apron to move the upper run of the latter rearwardly when the harvester is in motion, a pair of sprocket wheels rotatably mounted in the top portion of the frame, another pair of sprocket wheels rotatably mounted in the extreme rear part of the frame, a pair of selectively, from said highest point or from on the ground, means for making said hop-- per inoperative and to allow the potatoes to drop directly on the ground and means to guide the falling potatoes toward'the center of the frame and on the ground rearwardly of the ground wheels. r

'2. The structure specified. in claim 1 and a guard secured above said uppermost sprockets and the rollers adjacent thereto to prevent potatoes, vines or soil from being crushed. I J

3. The structure specified in'claim 1, in which the upper run of the apron is moved rearwardly by said highest sprockets, thence downwardly under said rollers, thence rearwardly from the lower side of the rollers to the extreme rear sprockets, for the purpose set forth. 7 4. The structure specified in claim 1 in which the upper run of the apron terminates at the highest pair of sprockets and said hopper comprises, a rotatable shaft mounted horizontally and transversely in .the frame, a number of hinged plates extending radially from said shaft and adapted to be fixed in said radial relation to the shaft, either of said platesadap'ted, when positioned, to extend rearwardly and upwardly in the path of potatoes being dropped from the apron, to catch the potatoes in the hopper formed'between said plate'and the adjacent forwardly extending plate; and means for dropping said plates downwardly out of the path of the falling potatoes.

5. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said guiding means for the falling potatoes comprise longitudinally arranged vertically disposed plates each having its upper edge fixed on a side wall of the frame, means tending to hold each plate in a vertical plane and means for springingthe main part of the plate inwardly toward the center of the frame to form an inclined guard.

6. The structure specified inclaim 1, in which said guiding means for the falling potatoes comprise longitudinally arranged vertically disposed plates each having its upper edge fixed on a side wall of the frame,

means tending to hold each plate in a vertical plane and means for springing the main part of the plate inwardly toward the center of the frame, said springing means comprising for each guide plate a knee brace with a vertical arm pivotally secured with its lower end to the frame and normally in contact with the plate, a horizontal arm extending outwardly from the vertical arm, means for pulling said horizontal arm upwardly to swing; the knee brace inwardly and press the plate, and horizontal arms on said knee brace to engage the outer face of the plate. I V v i r In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

1 GEORGE V. BRUCE. 

